Back in the Day...

This is my house. Or rather...this was my house. Back in the day when I was small. Two stories, 3 bedrooms, probably about 1800-2000sq ft, all told...as if anyone even cared ~ back in the day ~ about square footage of anyone's house. Back in the day, it was more about life inside that house. Family life. Father, mother, children, pets. Normal, everyday life. Back in the day, fathers went to work, mothers stayed home, children went to school and played outside without a care in the world. Summers were hot and sunny; the days were long and carefree. Winters came in their turn, the snow fell in huge mounds, the ice crystals shone from every tree branch, every telephone wire. I lived in this house for the first 25 years of my life. Truth be told, if I hadn't met my future husband Michael, I might never have left it, but deep down I knew it was time to strike out on my own. And growing up to marry him was the best thing I've ever done...but when I look back on this house, I think, "Those were the days of my life ~ when I was small. I can never get them back. But I can remember them with fondness; I can remember my family with love." I have a treasure-trove of memories from back in the day...that I can call to mind whenever I want. I can remember the woods at the end of the street, where we would go to hunt those tiny little toads. I can remember the candy store a block away, where my Mom would give each of us a nickel to spend on anything we wanted, as long as we were very good. I can remember the toy store just a short walk from there, where I picked out paper dolls (a bride and a groom) for my 7th birthday. I can remember the year my parents had our old broken-down garage towed away and a new one built (the one you see in this picture)...and we had so much fun playing in the backyard which had been filled with sand (to ready the ground for laying down new sod and a new driveway), that they decided to keep a huge portion at the rear for a giant sand-play area! I can remember the gazebo my Dad brought home and set up in the back of the house, where I would sit for hours on my favorite lounge/lawn chair, lost in my faerie tales, or drawing in my sketchbooks. And how well I remember ~ back in the day ~ my Mom telling me and my sisters that it was time to freshen up the flower beds, and oh! how we hated that! But back in the day, children helped with the chores and that included pulling weeds. We complained under our breath LOL, but we knew, deep down, that helping out was just part of growing up...back in the day. The years went on, we all grew up. All six of us. We all got married, had our own families. As time went on, we all went back to this house, over and over again...family gatherings, sitting with Mom and Dad over a beer, this home where we all had become big, the cares of the world invading our play hours with grown-up routines. And I'm sure that my brothers and sisters ~ if they are anything like me ~ can all remember those wonderful times we had here. All those many years ago. Back in the day.